May 2025

Photo by Katie Czelusta Cover by Serina Yan

Review wins awards, names new editors

Story by Juliet Dow, Sophia Kim & Sarah Nguyen

For the second straight year, the Review has won the Gold Crown and Pacemaker awards, marking the rst time the newspaper has won both back-to-back.

Established by the Columbia Scholastic Press Association and the National Scholastic Press Association, respectively, the Crown and Pacemaker are the most prestigious national honors for high school journalism. These awards recognized work published during the 2023-2024 school year.

The Review also received multiple honors from Quill & Scroll this year, placing rst overall in the Writing Category. Individual award winners included Georgia Pulliam (Beginning Podcaster, 1st place), the Review Editorial Board (Sta Editorial, 1st) and Elizabeth Hu, Annie Jones (‘24) & Lucy Walker (Health, Science, and Agricultural Writing, 1st).

Recognized by the Private School Journalism Association for their student portfolios were Eshna Das (Features Writer of the Year, 2nd place), Aien Du (Junior of the Year, 3rd) and Sophia Kim (Freshman of the Year, 3rd).

NSPA’s Clips & Clicks contest applauds student excellence for their work each semester. Individual winners include Serina Yan (Newspaper Front Page design, 1st place), Eshna Das, Lee Monistere & Dalia Sandberg (Feature Story, 1st), Caroline Thompson (Editorial, 2nd), Mikail Khan (News Story, 4th) and Bella Dodig & Aila Jiang (Feature Story, 5th).

In November, 16 Review and Quadrangle editors attended the NSPA Fall Journalism Convention in Philadelphia, where the Review received the Pacemaker Award. The September issue of the Review also won 5th place in Best of Show.

“I’m so proud of all of our work this year,” deputy editor Dalia Sandberg said. “We collaborate so well as a team.”

The Review Online received a record number of awards from School Newspapers Online, which recognizes outstanding student work. As of publication, Review writers earned 16 Best of SNO awards, including multiple honors for Mikail Khan (4), Ainsley Bass, Aien Du, Eshna Das, Bella Dodig, Aila Jiang and Brian Kim (2 each).

The Review Online also became a Distinguished Site on May 2, an honor achieved by earning Continuous Coverage, Site Excellence, Story Page Excellence, Excellence in Writing, Audience Engagement and Multimedia Excellence badges.

“This year, we have really solidi ed our presence in digital journalism, showcasing how versatile we can be,” online editor-in-chief Aien Du said.

Aien Du and Aila Jiang will continue their current positions as online editors-in-chief while Eshna Das, Lee Monistere and Dalia Sandberg will serve as editor-in-chief for the print edition. Nathan Kim takes over as print managing editor.

Assistant online editors-in-chief are sophomores Genevieve Ederle, Mikail Khan and Amina Khalil-Zegar with Angel Huang, Sophia Kim, Nia Shetty and Wanya Zafar serving as online section editors.

Print deputy editors for next year are Bella Dodig, Yutia Li and Riya Nimmagadda.

Executive design editors are Jennifer Lin and Michelle Liu along with design editors Ella Hughes and Emily Yen with Noa Shaw as assistant design editor.

Copy editors are Ainsley Bass, Juliet Dow, Brian Kim and Sarah Nguyen.

Next year’s photo editor will be Georgia Pulliam. Riya Nimmagadda takes over as business/production manager and Evan Williams will be assistant business manager.

The Review is advised by David Nathan, Shelley Stein (‘88) and Sam Abramson.

Setting the story straight

From The Review to The New York Times, Pooja Salhotra has found her calling in journalism

Story by Bella Dodig & Yutia Li

In her ninth grade English class, Pooja Salhotra (‘12) wrote a letter to her future self, a rming she wanted to be a journalist for The New York Times. In June, that dream becomes a reality.

Each year, The New York Times Reporting Fellowship program selects 30 early-career journalists out of an applicant pool of thousands to work as interim reporters for one year. Fellows are then assigned to a speci c section, ranging from culture to climate. This year, Salhotra will join the National desk.

“The New York Times has such a variety and depth to what they do,” Salhotra said. “I’m excited to be in that space and soak up as much as I can about how they’ve built this incredible newsroom.”

Salhotra got her rst taste of journalism when she joined The Review in 2008. Her brother Neeraj (‘09), who was a member of the business sta , suggested she give the publication a try, so she became a photographer with no plans of writing.

“I was someone who was oblivious to the outside world and just not super aware of the news,” she said. Yet after her freshman year, Salhotra began writing stories and got hooked. By the time she was a senior,

I’m excited to be in that space and soak up as much as I can about how they’ve built this incredible newsroom.

POOJA SALHOTRA

Salhotra was named print editor-in-chief. In the yearbook, classmates called her the person “most likely to be found in the Review room.”

“I was an introverted person, but The Review kind of brought me out of my shell,” Salhotra said. “Not only was I forced to ask questions and engage with people, but I was also writing articles the whole school could possibly read.”

Salhotra attended Yale University, where she wrote three articles a week for the Yale Daily News as a beat reporter. Her speciality was exploring the intersection between Yale and the city of New Haven, Connecticut. “I immediately fell in love with it. The beat expanded my understanding of issues I wasn’t really exposed to in Houston — I wanted to have a social impact and a ect my community in a positive way.”

Although Salhotra enjoyed her time on the Daily, she never thought of journalism as a potential career path. After graduating with a bachelor’s in Psychology and Economics in 2016, she worked for over a year in marketing at Pepsico before attending Harvard Law School in 2018.

Despite all her success, Salhotra felt like she was still not making the social impact she desired.

During her rst semester, Salhotra took a leave from Harvard, returning to Houston to explore other interests. One day she was sitting in the Bellaire Starbucks when Joni Ho man, editor-in-chief of The Buzz Mag-

azines, recognized her from when she interned with The Buzz in high school.

As they were catching up, Ho man mentioned that the magazine was looking for an editorial assistant. Intrigued, Salhotra applied for the position and started writing that very same week. When it came time to re-enroll at Harvard, Salhotra decided her passion to pursue journalism outweighed her desire to return to law school.

“I realized this is actually what I’ve wanted to do since The Review.”

After almost two years at The Buzz, Salhotra earned her Master of Fine Arts at NYU. Upon graduating, she initially looked for jobs and internships in New York City but ultimately applied for a position at The Texas Tribune, headquartered in Austin.

Salhotra was o ered a post in Lu in, a small town roughly two hours north of Houston, as their East Texas reporter.

At rst, Salhotra was hesitant to transition to smalltown life. But her peers encouraged her to take the o er, which would give her a “chance to do real reporting — the kind that nobody else was doing.”

In Lu in, Salhotra reported on issues that often ew under the radar, from rural internet service to healthcare access. Building on her legal background, she also wrote many stories focusing on criminal justice.

“When I applied to law school, I actually wanted to become a public defender, so it was a full-circle moment,” Salhotra said.

Once, Salhotra received a tip about a mother who had lost her son to the criminal justice system. She reached out for an interview to learn more and discovered that the woman’s son had been arrested in Texas but was transported to a private prison facility in Louisiana, where he later died.

Over the next few months, Salhotra not only published her article but also kept in contact with the mother as she worked to le a lawsuit against the Harris County Sheri ’s O ce.

“It was really rewarding to develop that relationship and to feel like I earned her trust enough for her to share personal details,” Salhotra said.

Ho man says that Salhotra has a special ability to establish a connection with her interviewees. From waking up to join a group of blind marathon runners for their early–morning training run to scheduling an interview with an alleged murder suspect, Salhotra has proven her compassion and credibility.

“People open up to Pooja like they never have before, and that’s her gift,” Ho man said.

Salhotra’s last day at The Tribune was April 17 and she is preparing to return to New York City to begin her fellowship at the Times.

“We’re living in a really historic moment in America, and to be on the front lines telling that story and playing a small part in recording our history feels really exciting to me.”

TAKING THE LEDE

Former Review editor-in-chief Pooja Salhotra moderates a panel during the “We the Texans” symposium that took place February 2024.

Photo by Annie Mulligan, The Texas Tribune

Students bullish on investing

In 2022, the Business Competition Club invested $20,000 into a stock portfolio. Today, its shares are valued at nearly $35,000.

The club is managed by eight students who have two things in common: a passion for investing and years of experience.

Heading into next year, members plan to make more students fund managers and teach investment methods on a larger scale. They also intend to hold forums and meetings, promoting business and financial advice.

Sophomore AJ Alagarsamy, who started investing in sixth grade, specializes in managing assets and serves on the board with seniors Ryan Shen, Nate Lawless and Sammie Anaipakos, and juniors Patrick Tsang, Aaron Wu, Maddox Kuy and Winston Silsby.

“It’s something I have a lot of passion for, something that I put a lot of time towards,” Alagarsamy said.

Beyond the Business Competition Club, other students enjoy investing in stocks and bonds to expand their portfolios.

When Covid struck while he was in sixth grade, junior César Adrogué had plenty of birthday money saved up. Rather than spending it conventionally, he combined his savings with money made from chores and opened a custodial account with Charles Schwab, allowing him to invest as a minor under adult supervision.

“After that, every time I gathered more money, I would just think, ‘Put it into the account,’” Adrogué said.

Adrogué cautions against short-term trading.

“You’re more likely to lose,” he said. “But in the long run, if you invest in safe stocks, then most of them will either stay the same or gain value.”

Junior Shiv Khera started investing in early January. Not knowing where to begin, he purchased a subscription to the Wall Street Journal and Yahoo

Finance. The more Khera researched, the closer he was to managing his own account.

While investing is educational and potentially rewarding, students can — and do — lose money.

Alagarsamy stresses the importance of being an educated trader. “There’s real money on the line, and when you aren’t aware of the risks you’re entering, you aren’t fully looking at all of your options.”

“You don’t just want to invest randomly. You should research, watch the news and stay updated with the economics of the world,” Adrogué said. For new investors who want to experience trading without the monetary risks, websites such as Investopedia, Bankrate and Nerdwallet are available.

“I recommend new investors do all the research possible before diving headfirst into the world of investing,” Alagarsamy said.

Khera says that trading offers additional means to make and save money.

“I don’t use my allowance anymore. I work for my aunt. I do tennis lessons. All these little things, I do them wherever I can just to add money and put it into the account,” Khera said.

For Khera, trading can also improve economic

awareness. “I’ve learned a lot beyond how our economy works. I’m learning about what’s going on in the world right now. I’m staying updated,” Khera said.

Khera recalls how, when he first began investing, compulsively checking his account led him to become stingy. Over time, he has learned restraint. “A good investor does not let their emotions take advantage of them, especially in the volatile market right now,” Khera said.

For aspiring traders, Khera recommends opening a custodial account. “Taking the initiative to start one is a big game-changer,” he said.

Khera says teenagers have a golden opportunity to develop financial maturity. “Being older, specifically 16, 17 is a good age,” he said. “When I was 14 or 15, there were a lot of things in the market that were very tempting.”

Investing can pave the way for fulfilling experiences, exciting opportunities and, potentially, major profit.

“I definitely recommend investing,” Adrogué said. “Especially in this fast-paced world, it’s a good way for students to learn and develop life skills.”

Engineering a program with lasting legacy

When engineering teacher Franco Posa approached three sophomores to compete in the Science and Engineering Fair of Houston, he had no idea their project would end up winning a Grand Award. That group, consisting of Landon Doughty, Ayaan Dhuka and Caiman Moreno-Earle, also placed second in the International Science and Engineering Fair for their robotic chess board.

Since then, the three have worked together, combining their specialties: Doughty in electrical engineering, Moreno-Earle in mechanical engineering and Dhuka in computer science. Last year, the group built a large drone designed to quickly deliver emergency medical devices such as automatic external defibrillators. This year in the Engineering Capstone course, they began building a swarm of drones to scan 3D objects.

“In the U.S. right now, there’s a lot of infrastructure that’s really outdated, and a lot of roads and bridges don’t get inspected as often as they need to,” Doughty said. “We were trying to create a system that could make inspections easier and cheaper.”

The team faced challenges adapting the light detection and ranging camera to fit on their smaller drones and integrating the movement systems for better coordination. Despite these hurdles, they constructed three functional prototypes.

“The real highlight has been creating the drones because they’re completely custom,” Doughty

said. “Getting all of that to work for the first flight was my favorite part.”

Other students taking Engineering Capstone have different goals. A summer trip to Galveston inspired seniors Benji Adachi and Connor McCain to create a new way to clean up beaches.

“Connor and I saw that the beaches were full of trash, and our childhood memories always consisted of beaches that were clean and fun, not dangerous,” Adachi said. “We tried to do our best to clean it up, but human labor is not the most efficient.”

Senior Sebi Rodriguez joined the project, which aimed to design a robot that uses Artificial Intelligence to identify and collect trash by separating it from sand. Their project won fourth place in Environmental Engineering at the Science and Engineering Fair of Houston.

Adachi joined Engineering Design and Analysis as a freshman because he loved the hands-on aspect of the course. He plans to major in Civil Engineering at the University of Texas next year.

“The Engineering room has been such a big part of my life — robotics, Science Olympiad, engineering classes and working on projects,” Adachi said. “I’m happy and excited to move on to the next chapter.”

For Posa, who has taught Engineering with Matthew Bounds, the program is unconventional because it allows teachers to interact with students on a more personal level.

“They spend a lot of their free time in this room. When they come back and visit, they often talk

more about the fun times they had here and how it was a safe space for them,” Posa said. “And that’s just as important.”

Posa is always fascinated by what students who work at such an advanced level can create, and he looks forward to next year’s projects.

“Every year, there’s at least two or three projects where I myself am challenged to beef up what I learned or stay up to date with what’s happening,” Posa said. “That’s why I enjoy teaching Capstone.”

Sophomore Elias Zhang, a member of the robotics team, points out that, in addition to all the seniors graduating, Bounds is also leaving. Still, he is looking forward to meeting the incoming freshmen next year.

“It’s hard to pinpoint how the department will change,” Zhang said. “But things are going to be a lot quieter.”

Story by Nicholas Laskaris & Brayden Zhao

Photo by Colin Caughran

Story by Brian Kim

Photo by Georgia Pulliam

STOCKING UP As the member of the Business Competition Club, sophomore AJ Alagarsamy specializes in managing assets.

TINKER TOYS Seniors Landon Doughty and Ayaan Dhuka build a swarm of drones to scan 3D objects.

Ending a revolutionary era

After 24 years, Johnson-West makes history herself

Every October, Gara Johnson-West picks a new student to decapitate. The spectacle is not a Halloween Photo by Georgia Pulliam stunt, but rather a reenactment of the French Revolution’s notorious guillotine frenzy.

“Since her first lecture, I swear she was shining,” said junior Nathan Kim who took her Modern World History class last year. “She is hands-down the best teacher I have ever had.”

These history theatrics arise from her teaching philosophy of “telling the story.”

Throughout her career, Johnson-West has shaped the history department at the Upper School, designing the curriculum for Modern World History and Modern Revolutions and Theory, her senior elective.

After 24 years at St. John’s, Johnson-West is retiring.

Johnson-West describes history as a “love affair.” She encourages her students to believe in the material and maintain scholarly discipline, advocating for compelling storytelling.

“There is no way around the work,” Johnson-West said. “Always read. Always stay up. History changes, and so do our interpretations.”

After graduating from Baylor University with a Master’s in history, Johnson-West worked on presidential and Senate campaigns before fundraising for a lobbying firm. Johnson-West was about to start her doctorate at Rice when St. John’s offered her a job in 2001.

As the daughter of educators, Johnson-West vowed to never teach. She broke that vow after shadowing a philosophy class taught by Tony Sirinagno.

“It was like a light came down from the heavens,” Johnson-West said. “Teaching history is the most important work because if we don’t know the history, we’re doomed to repeat it.”

Since then, Johnson-West has been more than just a teacher. To anyone lucky enough to know her, she is a friend, mother and mentor.

“I can confidently say that she is the standard that I’ve set for all teachers,” Kim said. “She is so engaging that I always wanted to stay after class to ask questions and reciprocate her energy.”

Johnson-West will finish her last year alongside graduating daughter Chloe West. This May will be the third time she will give a Baccalaureate speech, with the previous time being at the graduation of her oldest daughter, Ella.

She is the standard I’ve set for all teachers. She is so engaging that I always wanted to stay after class to ask questions and reciprocate her energy.

NATHAN KIM

“I’m so proud to have her as my mom,” West said. “No matter how I’m feeling, I always have her.”

Their relationship only strengthened when West took her mother’s senior elective.

“She is such a brilliant teacher, I already respected her, but after having her, my jaw was on the ground,” West said. “After taking her class, I finally got to see her perform.”

Johnson-West’s ability to make the people around her feel special shines in her friendships as well. World Languages department chair Aline

Means entered St. John’s the same year, and the two have since become best friends who have raised their children alongside each other.

“She’s always there for me,” Means said. “When I had a surgery, she showed up with her casserole; when I’ve had a bad day, she listens.”

Students are not the only people who have learned from Johnson-West. History teacher Jack Soliman sat in on her senior elective this semester as it would be his “last chance to see her in action.”

What Soliman intended to be just one class turned into a week-long attendance.

“I discovered that she is as dynamic a speaker as I’ve ever seen in the classroom,” Soliman said. “She’s just amazing.”

Johnson-West’s time at the School has even led to the expense of having former students become her current colleague. Upper School math teacher Alice Fogler (‘10) was in both Johnson-West’s advisory and sophomore history class.

“Math has always been my thing, and I never fully got history except for in her class,” Fogler said. “I’m sure my junior and senior year teachers reaped the benefits of the fact that I was taught how to love history by Ms. Johnson-West.”

Looking ahead, Johnson-West has already made plans to travel between her Houston home and New York.

“The students will always be a reason I come back,” she said. “It has been a gift to go on this journey. I wouldn’t give it up for anything.”

Angus leaves impact on hearts and minds

When Paula Angus drove by Claremont Lane one afternoon in 1990, she noticed a group of students running around playing soccer in their school uniforms. She immediately knew she wanted to teach there. Now, after 30 years at St. John’s, Angus is retiring. Angus has taught Biology I, Biology I Honors, Neuroscience Honors, and Anatomy and Physiology Honors in addition to advising almost 70 students.

She has a long history with and an affinity for science.

“I’ve always been the kid that was down in the dirt,” Angus said. “I was so interested in the little snakes, frogs and lizards in the woods. So when I went to college, I knew I wanted to study science.”

In the fall of 2019, Angus created the Neuroscience course, which consists of two semester-long classes, Neuroscience I and II. The classes go hand-in-hand: Neuroscience I explains the programming of the brain, and Neuroscience II applies the information to human focus and well-being.

“It’s really important for students to know how the brain works,” Angus remarked. “It can help the teens I teach understand anxiety, depression and the growing brain they have.”

Angus has also advocated for the introduction of

new classes, including the incorporation of statistics, linear algebra and data analytics.

“She was the first person to start thinking outside the standard courses,” said math teacher Kimm Shafer, who has been a colleague and friend since 1995.

Whether coaching their daughters’ club soccer team or chatting in the faculty workroom, Shafer looks back fondly on their relationship.

“I poke my head into her room whenever I’m near to say hello, so it’s going to be hard for me not seeing her there,” Shafer said.

Senior Addison Vine enjoys Angus’s enthusiasm, humor and genuine passion.

“She doesn’t just teach,” Vine said. “She really loves the content. She goes out of her way to explore the topics she’s interested in, and she brings that back to campus.”

Senior Tess Artzer agrees. “She seems to have an endless amount of knowledge about so many different things, and it’s fun to hear her talk about it.”

Angus appreciates her time at SJS, calling it her home away from home.

“The best part is all the amazing students I get to work with,” Angus said. “Every day is different. I learn so much from my students and all my amazing colleagues.”

Angus plans on moving to her family farm in rural Ohio, where her mother and extended family

live. She looks forward to a break from city life.

Although students and colleagues are happy for Angus to have time to relax, they appreciate her contributions to the school.

“She’s just been so great for the community because she really loves what she does,” Artzer said.

“SJS won’t be the same without her.”

Story by Aien Du & Aila Jiang Photo by Georgia Pulliam

Story by Nicholas Laskaris & Wanya Zafar

Photo by Georgia Pulliam

teachers Kem Kemp, Rachel Weissenstein and Kimberly Roquemore display their favorite books.

Mulligans leave faith, kindness

Director of Spiritual Life Ned Mulligan was moments away from the end of his nal Upper School Chapel when Head of Upper School Kevin Weatherill approached the lectern.

“There is a generation of students who have experienced signi cant success in this space that Reverend Mulligan has created,” Weatherill said. The standing ovation that followed his speech punctuated Mulligan’s 10 years of dedication to the Chapel program. As he nears semi-retirement, Mulligan re ects on how he has worked to make Chapel more inclusive and student-driven.

His rst few years were challenging due to preconceived notions that some members of the school held about how Chapel should operate.

“There were a bunch of people that saw my coming as an opportunity to undermine the Chapel program,” Mulligan said. Yet he held rm. “As soon as people got to know me, they gured out I didn’t have an agenda other than to do the best I could do with what was expected.”

Accompanying him on his next adventure is Pam, his wife of 32 years, who has worked the past seven years at the Upper School Parents Desk — directly downstairs from her husband’s o ce.

“There is no one else I would ever want to spend my day with,” Mrs. Mulligan said. “It’s been wonderful for me because he’s also my chau eur.”

Lori Fryman, Assistant Dean of Students, says Mrs. Mulligan is one of the most thoughtful people she knows.

“She always has birthday gifts, gifts for Christmas, and around Thanksgiving she brings us all mu ns,” Fryman said. “She is very genuine and a wonderful woman. We are going to miss her.”

According to Rev. Mulligan, when he arrived in 2015, a dozen Catholic students ran the Chapel

Guild. Things began to change when a non-Christian student got involved and eventually chaired the Guild. When she graduated, she gave Mulligan a copy of her college essay, which was all about their relationship.

“I cried for a day,” Mulligan said.

At rst, Mulligan used to deliver most of the Chapel talks himself because student interest was relatively low. This semester, speaking in Chapel was in such high demand that Mulligan gave up speaking at the nal Chapel so senior Lex Langlais could share her story.

“Public speaking is a fear greater than death for many, and Reverend Mulligan has encouraged students that their messages — shared with others — are worth overcoming any anxiety they feel,” Weatherill said at the nal Chapel.

Mulligan also credits the increased popularity of Chapel to the former Special Music Chair, senior Grady McMillin. The nal Upper School Chapel consisted of three musical performances, which “felt more celebratory than a regular Chapel,” Mulligan said.

Beyond his duties as Director of Spiritual Life, Mulligan has taught popular history electives “Justice and Equity in the 21st Century” and “Religion and Politics in America,” which he developed during his rst few years at SJS.

Rev. Mulligan strives to make learning fun and engaging to ensure that everyone feels comfortable and accepted. Junior Akash McCracken, who has taken both of Mulligan’s classes, praises him for his inclusivity.

“He made really good points on both sides of the political spectrum,” McCracken said.

Mulligan says the best part about his job has been the students. His favorite memories include Candlelight services and performing in its choir two years ago.

As a face of the school at the Parents Desk, Mrs. Mulligan’s favorite memories include Candlelight and connecting with students, faculty and sta . “I never know who I will eat lunch with,” she said.

The Mulligans are moving to South Carolina, where they will live near a golf course and a beach. Rev. Mulligan said he may even take the bar exam and return to practicing law.

Mrs. Mulligan looks forward to exploring her new neighborhood and Kiawah Beach. The Mulligans already have plans to visit relatives.

Senior Kit Haggard, who has bonded with both Mulligans, says she will miss them both dearly.

“I love them. They are great mentors and both have become such important people in my life.”

Longtime English teachers begin a new chapter

Story by Sarah Nguyen, Aien Du & Eshna Das Design by Emily Matthews-Ederington

When Kem Kemp rst heard about St. John’s, she only knew of it as “the beautiful school with the stone.” Now, after 32 years at St. John’s and 44 years of teaching, she will be retiring.

Back in 1993, Kemp was “at a turning point in life and ready for a change,” so she began teaching Middle School English and advising the Quadrangle yearbook before moving to the Upper School.

Kemp has worked under 11 department chairs and led a grade-level team as teaching styles changed from lecture-centric lessons to more collaborative learning techniques.

Kemp currently teaches freshman English and two senior seminars. Her teaching goals have remained constant: to help students realize their potential and encourage their love of learning.

“I want them to feel empowered and con dent and lean into the messy process of not being perfect,” Kemp said. “I want them to go forward and feel like they can conquer what’s ahead.”

Kemp plans to spend time with family and pursue hobbies, including publishing on the Medium website and hosting writing workshops as she continues to explore her passion for literature.

“What has been amazing is the relationships I’ve established,” Kemp said. “I am who I am because of being here and teaching here.”

In 2021, Amy Dong (‘16) revisited campus to deliver a copy of her memoir “Twenty-One Years Young” to her former English teacher, Rachel Weissenstein

Inside, Dong inscribed, “I once heard good teachers are those who do two things: teach you about everything and change your life. If that is true, then you are one of the greatest teachers I have ever had.”

“I don’t know what my next thing is, but I am very excited to gure it out.”

Years after graduating from St. John’s in 1987, Kimberly Roquemore took to the skies as a ight attendant. Over a quarter century later, she returned to teach English.

“In a sense, it was coming home,” she said. Whether as a student or teacher, Roquemore was always ready to adapt.

“I thought I had to be like the teachers that I had,” she said. “I shed some of those expectations and adjusted to the place being more empathetic.”

Beyond teaching, Roquemore immersed herself in school life. The rst a nity group she sponsored was the African American A nity Group, now known as the Black Student Union.

“I was really excited to be able to do something for the Black students here because I didn’t have that,” Roquemore said.

Weissenstein is completing her nineteenth year at St. John’s after serving as the English Department Chair for the past nine years. This year, she taught English II, Creative Writing and senior electives on memoir and dysfunctional families. Weissenstein values being a friendly and kind spirit wherever she goes.

She has also sponsored the Mixed Race A nity Group, Bible Study and Students Against Stigma. Roquemore enjoyed how, even as a teacher, she was constantly learning.

“I’ve had a lot of English teachers, but no

“I’ve had a lot of English teachers, but no one was so willing to meet with me,” junior Neve Meredith said. “It became super normal for me to just nd her and talk about everything.”

“The school has allowed me to learn a lot and bring that into the classroom and share with faculty,” she said. “It’s been such a gift.”

Weissenstein plans on moving to upstate New York to be closer to her one-year-old grandson, but she will stay connected with the SJS community.

But don’t call it a retirement. Weissenstein prefers to call the next chapter of her life a “reinvention.”

After teaching for 11 years at her alma mater, Roquemore intends to savor her last moments on campus.

“We have so many traditions. I just need to make sure I see everyone and have time with them,” she said. “Because next time I see people, it’ll be hard to nd that quality time.”

For extended versions of these articles and more features on departing faculty, please visit the Review Online, sjsreview.com.

Story by Dalia Sandberg & Evan Williams Photos by Colin Caughran

AND UNTIL WE MEET AGAIN... Ned and Pam Mulligan will be moving to South Carolina.

Keep calm, Jellycat on

From bunnies to breakfast, these stuffed animals are the latest microtrend

After a long week of classes, nothing helps Lulu Flores unwind like going to Rice Village and purchasing a Jellycat.

Ever since Flores started her collection, she has bought three to four every month. Now, the junior possesses over 38 unique stu ed animals that sit on her bedroom shelf. Some of her favorites include a hippo and an egg on toast — both wearing the iconic Jellycat smile.

“They each have a little face on them, which I think is really fun,” Flores said. “That’s what makes them so unique.”

Although the company launched its rst collection in 1999, Jellycats exploded in popularity over the last year. The stu ed animals sport cheerful faces and boast a wide range of themes, which are featured by social media posts that capture their charm.

The brand consists of two major categories: Amuseables and Animals, which are then divided into subgroups. Amuseables feature non-traditional themes, ranging from food to planets, while Animals replicate the more standard plushie.

Jellycats are nally having their moment, although not without controversy. For a regular-sized Jellycat, which measures less than a foot tall, the prices range from $20 to $68. Supersized Jellycats, like the retired special-edition Bashful Bunny or Snow Dragon, can resell for up to $1000.

Such prices are common for the latest microtrend, rapidly rising in popularity before quickly dying down.

“I remember seeing videos of Jellycats on my For You Page two years ago, and they weren’t that big,” Flores said. “Once they got out, it really sparked something.”

Convinced by her friends, junior Adrianna Bejger bought her rst Jellycat to see if they were worth the price. They weren’t.

“They are honestly the same as any other stu ed animal,” Bejger said.

Some students have started buying Jellycats as presents for special occasions like Valentine’s Day and Easter, drawing from the brand’s repertoire of specialized holiday collectibles.

Junior Carter Lawrence recently jumped on the bandwagon.

I remember seeing videos of Jellycats on my For You Page two years ago, and they weren’t that big. Once they got out, it really sparked something.

LULU FLORES

“I bought a couple of them for my friends,” Lawrence said. “They are good gifts.”

Upper School librarian Suzanne Webb began buying Jellycats for special occasions. Starting with Bashful Bunny for her college-aged daughter Kennedy, she expanded the collection to include a couple of fruits and other animals. She acknowledges that, although expensive, she loves how “happy they make her daughter.”

“They are just so soft and snuggly,” Webb said.

Over the past two years, the Jellycat brand has promoted their plushies through make-believe restaurants located inside global toy stores like FAO Schwarz. In the fall of 2023, their agship

New York City store opened a Jellycat diner, drawing on the company’s staple American food collection. In 2024, the Paris store opened a patisserie full of plushie sweets and treats.

These immersive experiences allow customers to choose a Jellycat while the employees theatrically cook the plushie and serve it with stickers and a pin.

Last year, junior Kenzie Chu visited the Jellycat diner with her mother. After watching TikTok videos that highlighted the experience, she wanted to order a Jellycat rsthand. Chu selected the Amuseables Hamburger, which retailed for $50.

“My favorite part was de nitely the sizzling sounds that the workers made,” Chu said.

Flores is grateful that she found something to help her get through a stressful school year. Over the summer, she plans on visiting a Jellycat diner to continue expanding her collection.

“I am traveling a lot this summer, so I will be getting one everywhere I go,” she said. “I will be nding the ones that ‘call’ to me.”

FEEDING OUR ST. JOHNS FRIENDS AND FAMILY FOR OVER 40 YEARS

Story by Mikail Khan

Photo by Eshna Das

GOING NUTS

The Amuseable Acorn takes a break underneath a tree in the Plaza.

Artists wrestle with the ethics of artificial intelligence

Freshman Grace Kozak likes to go with the ow, except for that time in eighth grade when she rebelled against her English teacher.

Last year, the Middle School introduced AI into their curriculum as part of the Propaganda Project, in which students implement persuasive techniques on a poster. In years past, students would draw the posters for the “Animal Farm” project by hand, but Class 8 teachers Judy Adams and Michael Seckman decided to change the assignment to allow for the inclusion of AI-generated visuals.

“Our initial impulse to use AI was a feeling of not wanting to be left behind or not giving ourselves every opportunity with new innovations,” Seckman said.

Students fed prompts to Canva AI, choosing images that they liked and rejecting those that did not t their vision. Many students had to re ne their prompts multiple times to get the results they wanted.

“One of the objectives for this project was to show students that using AI on a project was not necessarily going to make it easier for them and be frustration free,” Adams said.

When Kozak discovered that she was required to use AI, she was angry. As an artist, she is adamantly opposed to the use of AI.

“I would rather have millions of terrible artworks than one AI piece because AI is not art. It’s a fundamental misunderstanding of what art is,” Kozak said. “It looks like art on the surface, but art is supposed to be human expression.”

According to Kozak, AI art is inherently unoriginal because it regurgitates content based on the work of human artists. She notes that it costs less to enter a prompt into AI than to pay human artists. Most importantly, those artists whose work is mimicked are not compensated.

One of the most notable controversies surrounding AI copyright infringement centers around ChatGPT’s Studio Ghibli lter. Studio Ghibli is a legendary Japanese art studio that has produced lms known for their use of hand-drawn animation like “My Neighbor Totoro,” “Spirited Away” and “Princess Mononoke.” Studio Ghibli co-founder Hayao Miyazaki, who has directed and drawn multiple award-winning Ghibli lms, condemns the use of AI-generated images. When shown an example, he said, “I strongly feel that this is an insult to life itself.”

Sophomore Isabel Jammar, co-president of the Studio Ghibli Club, said, “People use AI without thinking about who the creator of the art style is.”

Anyone can ask ChatGPT to convert their pictures into Studio Ghibli art, yet Studio Ghibli receives no compensation. Jammar says that people should respect Miyazaki’s wishes and commission real artists or draw the characters themselves.

“AI is stealing from artists who put so much

time and e ort in their drawings,” Jammar said. “People have lost why art is so important because AI lacks the raw emotion and talent that real art has.”

Kozak wants the government to implement stronger guidelines regarding AI usage, adding that people should use it with caution.

“We need to use AI for things that we can’t do already, not as a cheaper alternative for things we can do,” Kozak said. “Don’t be afraid to make your own art. It might look bad, but I love it.”

When she was assigned the Propaganda Project, Kozak found a loophole. Rather than making the visuals entirely generated by AI, she created a poster that was half AI-generated and half handdrawn. Bold letters proclaimed, “AI IMAGES ARE NOT ART, MACHINES ARE NOT ARTISTS.”

Due to feedback from Kozak and other students, the Propaganda Project is now AI-optional. Adams and Seckman estimate that 70 to 80 percent of students this year still used AI.

“The whole arrival of AI has produced persistent con ict in me because, as a writing teacher, I want students to master the art of self-expression. And I see AI getting in the way of that,” Seckman said. “But I also recognize that AI is going to be a part of their working lives.”

Adams shares a similar sentiment. “Schools need to ensure that students are exposed to technology and they learn how to use these tools in a responsible and critical way.”

Upper School photography teacher Scott Johnson acknowledges that AI can be an e ective tool for visualizing concepts, yet he does not allow his students to utilize AI in their assignments.

“In most cases, AI is an endpoint of creativity,” Johnson said. “If a student believes that their computer has generated something that is far beyond their skillset and uses it because they think they can’t do anything better, they’re allowing the tools to get away from them and halting their progress as a human being.”

Yet Johnson theorizes that AI has the potential to bene t the art industry. “True, tactile art may become even more respected or rare and, as a result, held in high regard.”

Junior Khoi Chu decided to experiment with the e ects of AI on authentic art when he painted a triptych, an art piece that takes three panels to create a cohesive, narrative structure. His piece is currently on display at the Contemporary Arts Museum Houston. As Chu brainstormed an angle for his work, he saw the popularity of AI in the artistic world increase. Chu decided to capitalize on the phenomenon by exploring the intersection of AI-generated artwork and imperfection.

“I used AI for my references and tried to purposefully exaggerate its proportions, the mistakes it makes and the things AI cannot accurately capture,” Chu said.

Chu’s piece follows a chronological structure with each frame having its own light source. The rst panel depicts a lantern guiding the way in prehistoric times while the second panel shifts the tone with a blue light source, representing the discovery and rise of technology.

The triptych concludes with a mourning mother holding her dis gured baby, altered by the in uence of AI.

According to Chu, the nal panel re ects human fragility in the digital age, mirroring his concern that the rise of AI will destroy the relationship between humanity and art.

“We need to take healthy precautions. We need to educate people,” Chu said.

“AI has already thrown Pandora’s Box open, and it’s never going to go back in.”

Khoi Chu’s triptych, currently on display at the Contemporary Arts Museum Houston, explores AI’s destructive influence.

Story by Sophia Kim & Nia Shetty

Design by Emily Yen

A CALL FOR CHANGE

Grace Kozak’s poster for the 8th grade Propaganda Project was half-drawn and half AIgenerated as a form of protest.

Image by Grace Kozak

THE DARK SIDE OF AI

Images by Khoi Chu

FEEL THE RUSH

Part two of a two-part series

No matter how informed one is about sorority life, nothing can prepare them for rush week.

The intensity of rush week depends on the university. As an SEC school, Ole Miss sorority culture is dominant — around 8,700 students are involved in Greek life.

“Your sorority is your life,” Caroline Hankamer (‘23) said. After her freshman year at Ole Miss, she transferred to the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill for academic reasons, yet she is still a member of the same sorority, Kappa Delta.

“I have liked the more relaxed sorority experience,” she said. “At Ole Miss, because [rushing] was such a big deal, I felt like every day we were getting texts telling us what we can and cannot do.”

Hankamer appreciates how Greek life at UNC is not under the “public spotlight” like it was at Mississippi.

“Schoolwork is my number one priority in college, and at Ole Miss a lot of people’s [priority] is

Greek life and their sorority.”

She also nds herself interacting with more girls outside her chapter, which was unusual at Ole Miss.

“All my friends in KD at UNC live with and hang out with girls in other sororities. That sounds like it would be the norm, but that was not the case at Ole Miss,” Hankamer said “Your friend group was dictated by your sorority, which can be a good thing for some people, but I prefer the laid-back culture at UNC. So many girls attend Ole Miss for the intense vibe because it can be really fun if that’s what you’re into.”

Joining a sorority just adds another community and group of people to meet, socialize and love.

VIRGINIA CAROLYN CRAWFORD

The day before rush week, Hankamer was placed in a group with nine other potential pledges and assigned a Rho Gamma, an active member from a Panhellenic chapter, the governing body of Greek life, who helps guide PNMs through the recruitment process. During the week, Rho Gams disa liate from their sorority to remain unbiased. With her group, Hankamer watched a presentation explaining what the daily Rush process entailed, and she was required to download an app where she would rank the sororities each day based on her preference.

The rst day of rush week is Greek Day, when the girls learn about the pledging process and watch short video presentations, including information about each sorority’s dues, average GPA, awards and activities.

“I remember it being insane because everyone has to wear the same t-shirt,” Hankamer said, “and there were 1,500 girls going through recruitment. So it was a sea of every girl going through the-

same process and wearing the same shirt in the audience.” Later that night, Hankamer ranked her top eight sororities.

The next round is Philanthropy, which lasts two or three days, depending on the school. During this round, the sororities talk to the girls about community service, chapter values and member involvement.

At 8 that morning, Hankamer updated her app to see her schedule and the list of the houses that she would visit that day.

“Between the rst two rounds, the only cuts that the houses make are based on GPA alone,” Hankamer said. “So they’re not already judging your personality before they’ve even met you. My GPA was ne, so I didn’t have to worry about that.”

You start to like a you get cut, you the end of

Hankamer got invitations from all eight houses, and she spent half an hour at each house talking to the active members about their philanthropy.

“They’ll also switch o talking to you,” Hankamer said. “One girl might pick you up from outside and take you inside to talk to you, and then another girl will come up and replace that girl, and you’ll start a new conversation.”

At some houses, Hankamer had 11 conversations while at others she would have only two.

“The general consensus is that people prefer when there are fewer conversations because you actually get to talk to them instead of just

TILL WE FOUND THE SEA OF GREEN Kappa Delta’s pledge class of 2024 gathers outside the KD house on

Photo courtesy of Caroline Hankamer

Story by Lee Monistere

Design by Jennifer Lin and Michelle Liu

LUCKY ME, I’M A KD Caroline Hankamer, left, celebrates after receiving her bid from Kappa Delta.

Photo courtesy of Caroline Hankamer

introducing yourself over and over again.”

At the University of Virginia, freshman Virginia Carolyn Crawford (‘24) enjoyed the variety of conversations she had during recruitment.

“There were a couple houses that were known for asking funky questions,” Crawford said. “One funny one I got was if I could live inside of a vegetable, which would I pick.”

After the Philanthropy round, Hankamer ranked her top ve houses. The next round, Sisterhood, centers around discussing the chapter’s values and traditions. According to Hankamer, this is when the process becomes more challenging.

“I had gotten cut from one house, and that was the rst time when it got stressful for some people. You start to like a house and then, if you get cut, you start to feel like it’s the end of the world.”

After two days of Sisterhood, Hankamer had to narrow down her house options from ve to two.

At the same time, the sororities decide which girls they want to invite back for the nal round: Preference.

Preference is the most formal round during Rush Week, when girls wear their nicest out t and have deeper conversations.

“It’s supposed to be very emotional. You’ll look around the room, and everyone’s crying,” Hankamer said. “Whichever girls they had that could sing started singing, and it was beautiful. It was like I was in a Disney movie.”

a house and then, if start to feel like it’s of the world.

HANKAMER

That night, Hankamer ranked her nal two houses. The following morning, she would discover whether or not she got a bid from her top choice.

At noon on Bid Day, Hankamer gathered with hundreds of girls at the Grove, a big lawn in the middle of the campus, where everyone counted down to the moment when they opened the manila folders that contained their bids. Hankamer tore open the envelope and ran to the Kappa Delta house, where her new sorority sisters greeted her.

“They’re holding a big KD jersey, which is what we call it, even though it’s just a t-shirt,” Hankamer said. “And they put the jersey on you, and they have candy and music.”

MIND GAMES

Despite the laid-back culture surrounding sororities at UVA, Crawford feels that the process is emotionally stressful, no matter the environment.

“It will tear you one way and then tear you in another,” Crawford said. “It’s very similar to college applications because it feels so personal to you, your character, your accomplishments and your entire life story. It feels so deep to you, and to the girls rushing you, at least in the rst few rounds, it’s relatively impersonal.” Crawford notes that a lot of decisions come down to numbers and who has the connections.

“You can only get one [sorority], but when you fall in love with multiple places, that de nitely wears on you emotionally when you have to cut. You have to maintain the attitude of ‘whatever happens, happens.’”

Shafer recalls the di erence in stress levels between rushing her freshman year and helping run recruitment the following year.

“It’s a lot easier being on the inside than it is being on the outside,” said math teacher Kimm Shafer, a former member of Alpha Delta Pi at the University of Texas. “Once you’ve pledged, all the pressure’s o .”

REAPING THE REWARDS

Shafer is grateful for the relationships formed in her sorority. In 1991, one of her sorority sisters told her about an opening at St. John’s. That friend was current Associate Head of School Chris Curran.

“I came to St. John’s because of her,” Shafer said. “So I do feel like I owe a lot to the sorority.”

Crawford stresses the strength of the connections that St. John’s creates and encourages students who are interested in the recruitment process to reach out to alumni.

“St. John’s has an amazing network of people, and I don’t know one girl who would be upset to receive a text from a younger St. John’s girl asking for advice,” Crawford said. “Everyone wants to help you, so don’t be afraid to ask.”

Crawford is thankful for the community she has built through her sorority without having it de ne her social life.

It will tear you one way and then tear you in another.

VIRGINIA

CAROLYN CRAWFORD

At Ole Miss, Hankamer was required to attend Rush Practice, where she spent six hours a week during the spring semester preparing for the following year’s recruitment and discussing the girls who expressed interest in rushing. Even after she transferred to UNC, Hankamer remained involved in the Ole Miss recruitment process by continuing to reach out to girls and introducing them to active members in her former chapter.

“It did weird me out a little bit though,”

Hankamer said. “What we do at Ole Miss is make PowerPoints of the girls that have committed their name, picture, hometown and activities. We put them on the screen and stand up to talk about that girl and what you know about her. Most of the time, people stand up and say this girl went to my high school, and she has a great reputation. But then there are times where someone has to stand up and say that the girl would not be a good t.”

Hankamer admits that she feels guilty participating in the “sorority gossip,” especially at Ole Miss, where recruitment was a “big deal.”

“It was weird thinking that my face was on a PowerPoint a year ago,” Hankamer said. “It is a good process because, in a way, we’re nding girls that have similar interests and grades and haven’t had some huge scandal in their lives.”

Shafer recalls participating in a similar process when she helped with recruitment at Texas, where active members would list all the girls in alphabetical order with their pictures.

“People would try to talk them up because, if you knew somebody that went to your high school and was wonderful, you wanted people to support who you really wanted,” Shafer said. Most of the time, girls from the same city would stick together to advocate for girls from their hometown

“At St. John’s, you really have one central friend group. Something very di erent about college is you have a lot of di erent circles,” Crawford said.

“Joining a sorority just adds another community and group of people to meet, socialize and love.”

Crawford also appreciates the laid-back atmosphere of her chapter and how her sorority has not limited her ability to participate in other academic and extracurricular activities.

“It expands your reach and network,” she said. “But it doesn’t de ne your life.”

Shafer remains thankful for the bonds she made in Alpha Delta Pi.

“I think sororities get a bad rap,” she said. “Not to say that there aren’t terrible things that have happened, but my experience was so good. I feel so fortunate for the friends and philanthropic and social activities we did.”

Crawford says that some people may have a skewed perspective of what sorority life is truly like, and she encourages people to understand how Greek life di ers depending on the school.

“There’s a lot of talk about Rush being only like Bama Rush TikTok. People paint it as this supercial, paying-for-friends process,” Crawford said. “People underestimate how intense the bonds are and underplay that the whole goal is to nd people who feel like home.”

on the Ole Miss campus.

SISTERS FOR LIFE

Virginia Carolyn Crawford, far right, hugs her sorority sisters after the Big-Little reveal at the University of Virginia.

Photo courtesy of Virginia Carolyn Crawford

Senior twins leave behind twice the legacy

THE ADAMS

THE ARTZERS

In the rst issue of The Review in the 2021-22 school year, we ran a quiz on the back page asking readers to match up pictures of all the twins in the freshman class. Not only did we leave out Cate and Sarah Adams, we misidenti ed Pia and Tess Artzer. Fortunately, they all found the situation more funny than o ensive.

In Lower School, Pia felt that people did not make an e ort to tell them apart because they were “little kids who hadn’t formed our own personalities.” For years, they never minded being called the “Artzer Twins” until they realized that people did not think of them as individuals.

“It took the pressure o if I screwed something up because maybe it was Tess who did it,” Pia said.

As juniors, they traveled to Zaragoza, Spain, as part of the School Year Abroad program, where they lived with separate host families.

“It was nice to get to know people without having the other twin there all the time,” Tess said. “We were apart but also together in so many ways.”

Pia and Tess will be attending college 50 miles apart in Maine. Pia will be going to Colby College while Tess will be at Bowdoin. They anticipate that the separation will let them discover who they are alone.

“It’s going to suck not having Pia around,” Tess said. “But she’s always going to be a phone call away.”

Since entering St. John’s in Class 6, Ally and Jack Faulk have had similar interests, including theater, swimming and yearbook. Despite the overlap, the twins grew further apart in high school.

“One second, I will be like, ‘Oh my God, I hate Jack so much,’ and then the next week, I’m like ‘Jack’s okay,’” Ally said.

As senior year approached, the two had similar college lists, but they agreed it was non-negotiable that they would go to di erent schools.

Cate and Sarah Adams relied on each other to get through the rst few weeks as they adapted to the Upper School.

to the Upper School.

“A lot of people have a hard time making friends as new students, so it was really nice to have my sister with me,”

DOUBLE TROUBLE

this year, they decided to embrace

Parent Trap,” even wearing

When Lexi and Ellie Burger were thinking about a Halloween costume this year, they decided to embrace their twindom by dressing up as Hallie and Annie from “The Parent Trap,” even wearing matching Camp Walden t-shirts and green shorts.

At St. John’s, the two “lifers” appreciate the strong sense of community, noting that while they have never been in the same friend group or taken a class together, they still hang out together and share similar interests.

“We’ve never been connected at the hip,” Ellie said, “but we’re still able to be together a lot.”

As juniors, they were recruited to play eld hockey; Lexi to Georgetown d Ellie to Brown. “I de nitely wanted to be close, but the mindset was whatever happens, happens,” Lexi said.

As graduation approaches, the twins have grown closer knowing they are going their separate ways.

“It’s going to be good having that space, learning how to do things and being our own person,” Lexi said.

“I thought it would be cool if we were in the same state so we could at least go visit each other, but that’s not how it happened,” Jack said.

After constantly being compared to one another, they know that college will allow them to grow on their own terms.

“I’ve always thought there’s a little too much overlap with our extracurriculars, but there’s really nothing you can do about it,” Ally said. “Being separate will be good.”

THE LARSENS

STICKING TOGETHER

Genna and Ty Larsen had not planned on going to the same college, but they are both headed to the University of Chicago. In fact, on their college lists, UChicago was the only school in common.

Genna entered SJS in kindergarten while Ty began in Class 6. The twins conceded that they were initially not very close, but they began bonding when their sister Nat (‘21) left for college.

“I could tell Ty anything because we were going through the same things at the same time,” Genna said.

While staying together was not a priority, after getting into UChicago, they realized it would be for the better.

“It is very easy for people to di erentiate us,” Ty said. “UChicago is big enough where I’m not de ned by having a twin.”

Genna and Ty are comforted that they can continue to rely on each other.

“We’ve been that for each other in high school, and we’ll continue to be that in college as well,” Ty said.

so it was really nice to have my sister with me,” out to, I always had her by my side.”

Sarah said. “If I ever needed someone to reach out to, I always had her by my side.”

Even after settling in, the twins enjoyed each other’s company when getting ready for school dances, grabbing lunch or studying together.

getting dances, grabbing lunch or studying together.

While applying to college, the twins gravitated towards the northeast, although choosing

While applying to college, the twins gravitated towards the northeast, although choosing the same school was never a deciding factor. Instead, their speci c interests and majors in uenced Cate to attend Lehigh in Pennsylvania and Sarah to Northeastern in Boston.

“We will still be close, but that just happened by coincidence,” Sarah said.

Although the twins are sad about separating, they feel con dent in their futures.

“We can still call and visit each other,” Cate said. “We have become our own individuals throughout high school, so it will be ne.”

THE CHIAOS

TO INFINITY AND BEYOND

Until ninth grade, Caroline and Henry Chiao were used to attending di erent schools and entered St. John’s at di erent times: Henry in middle school, Caroline in high school.

“When I came in, everyone was like, oh, you’re Henry’s twin,” Caroline said. “It was an easy conversation starter, but I felt it was important for me to establish my own identity.”

Throughout high school, the twins had di erent interests, so when applying to college, they shared few overlapping schools. Ultimately, Caroline chose St. John’s College in Annapolis, Maryland, while Henry will attend Grinnell College in Iowa.

As they prepare to boldly go where they have never gone before, the twins feel con dent attending di erent schools.

“We’re already pretty used to going to separate schools,” Henry said, noting that they even drive to school separately. “We’re also independent people, so I don’t think that it’ll be a huge problem to branch out as we’re going to college.”

Story by Riya Nimmagadda & Melody Han

Photos by Georgia Pulliam Design by Noa Shaw & Jennifer Lin

Home away from home: Noa Morte finishes her year abroad

Story by Juliet Dow & Ainsley Bass

The first time Noa Morte saw girls wearing sweatpants under their uniform skirts at St. John’s, she thought it was a political movement. It was the first of many culture shocks she experienced as an exchange student.

Last year, when Morte was attending school in Málaga, Spain, she learned about the opportunity to spend a year studying in the United States. At the end of May, she was relieved to find out that she would spend her junior year in Houston because she did not want to live on a farm in the middle of nowhere. Or in Delaware, which happened to one of her closest friends.

We barely knew each other before coming, and a year’s not that much time, but I think that we’ve connected since the very first moment.

NOA MORTE

After receiving an email from World Languages Department Chair Aline Means asking if anyone was interested in hosting an exchange student, assistant librarian Erica DiBella conferred with her husband and children, including her daughter Emarie, a senior. The DiBellas made the decision to have Morte join their family.

Morte’s journey to the United States got off to a rough start. She almost lost her passport, a suitcase and two bags, but she still made it to Texas in one piece with all her possessions. At the baggage claim at Bush Airport, the family saw Morte for the first time.

“There was this very little person with a huge suitcase,” Erica DiBella said.

When she arrived on campus, Morte was bombarded with questions, conversations and social interactions. She was overwhelmed.

“I was really nervous about the family, about the school,” Morte said. “I was nervous about everything to be honest.”

While she was familiar with English from years of study, Morte had to adjust to pop culture.

“It’s pretty hard, especially at the beginning, because you’re trying to adapt to the new language and at the same time, meet new people and get used to how they talk and how they live,” Morte said.

When Morte attended her first party in the U.S.A., she was taken aback by the blaring music and the rapid introductions. Unable to understand a single thing, Morte did not say a word the entire time.

Since then, Morte’s English skills have improved tremendously. Junior Andrea Mendez, one of Morte’s close friends, has witnessed her progress firsthand and is inspired by her work ethic.

“She’s super focused in her studies, and it’s impressive how much effort she puts in despite this not being her first language,” Mendez said.

Morte has always considered herself an exacting student, but she has gone from to treating anything below a B as subpar to feeling normal around people who think anything below an A is failing.

And after struggling with a reading check over “The Great Gatsby” on the first day of school, Morte can now handle the academic rigor.

“I was lucky enough to find support in a lot of amazing people in the St. John’s community, being able to establish healthy routines without stressing over tasks every time,” Morte said. While the schoolwork was difficult, Morte always had something to look forward to. From football games to prom, she appreciated those who promoted school spirit.

“I really like that they cheer you up and try to encourage students to not only study and focus on schoolwork but also have fun throughout the week,” Morte said.

She was also surprised by the dedication of students to their sports and found it unbelievable that cross-country runners, including host sister Emarie DiBella, voluntarily woke up at 5 every morning to practice.

In Spain, Morte participated in national gymnastics competitions for four years. She joined the cheerleading squad to use her talents as a gymnast but later decided to focus on school. Still, Morte loved participating in the Friday night lights culture and attended all football games,

cheering the team on from the sidelines.

As Morte got used to American traditions, she started to enjoy them. She loved performing at pep rallies, watching the Houston Rodeo and becoming an avid Astros fan. Morte has also experienced other American traditions by traveling beyond Houston. With the DiBella family, Morte has visited Maine, Chicago, the Grand Canyon and New York City to celebrate Christmas. At the top of the Willis Tower in Chicago, her host parents photographed her doing a handstand on the glass floor.

“Almost every activity they like to do, I just join them because I really like spending time with them,” Morte said.

Noa and the DiBellas share many interests, including exercise. The DiBella family enjoys weightlifting. And Morte has joined them, even venturing to participate in a weightlifting competition.

Morte has grown extremely close to Emarie, her host sister, describing it as a true sibling relationship.

She’s super focused in her studies, and it’s impressive how much effort she puts in despite this being not her first language.

ANDREA MENDEZ

“We barely knew each other before coming, and a year’s not that much time, but I think that we’ve connected since the very first moment,” Morte said.

Morte hopes to stay in touch with her friends and family once she returns home. This summer, the DiBella family also hopes to visit Morte in Spain.

“At this point the phrase ‘host family’ does not do justice to how much they mean to me,” Morte said. “They are now my second family.”

NOA PLACE LIKE HOME Noa Morte refers to the DiBellas as her “second family.”

Photo courtesy of Noa Morte

Boys tennis leads the way at SPC

Softball, girls tennis and track place second

Story by Lee Monistere & Angel Huang

After their 3-1 victory over St. Stephen’s in the SPC nals, assistant tennis coach Eric Gao (‘16) made good on a bet he made with the team three years ago.

To celebrate their rst SPC title since 1994, Gao let members of the team give him a buzz cut at the team celebration.

“I am really proud of them,” Gao said. “They’ve come so close these last couple of years, and it’s been so rewarding to see them both mature as individuals but also get stronger as tennis players.”

The Mavs entered SPC as the top seed and reached the nals after defeating St. Mark’s 3–2 in the semi nals.

“Winning a really close match makes all of the hard work you’ve done so much more rewarding because you know that was the di erence,” Gao said.

Leading the Mavs to victory were Finn Brewer, who won in the semi nals, Khaleel Walji, who won a three-set thriller in the nals. Shaan Bhagia and the doubles team of Shiv Khera and Teo Nelson who won in both the semis and nals.

The girls tennis team reached the SPC nals after sweeping Houston Christian and Hockaday. They nished runner-up to Kinkaid, falling 3–2.

Earlier in the season, Mavs tennis won the coed TTCA Private School State Team Championship for the second straight year.

OUT AT HOME

During the SPC regular season, Mavs softball lost to Episcopal 8–2 and were run-ruled by Kinkaid 15–5. Entering SPC as the No. 6 seed, the Mavs returned the favor by knocking out the Falcons in the quarter nals, 14-0, before falling to the Knights in the championship game, 3–2, with all the runs being scored in the rst inning.

The baseball team was seeking to repeat after winning SPC last year for the rst time since 1991. The Mavs felt optimistic after beating Episcopal in the regular season, but in the semi nals the Knights prevailed, 5–1. The Mavs came back the next day to defeat Houston Christian, 5–4, taking third place.

TRACK, GOLF, LACROSSE HIGHLIGHTS

For the rst time in 13 years, girls track nished in the top three at SPC, placing second, eight points ahead of Hockaday. Long-distance runners Taylor Synnott, Claire Connelly and Kiki Boukas; pole vaulter Jackie Berzin; sprinters Thea Popovic, Journey Zulueta, Dylan Davis and Josephine Barbee and throwers Bianca Sieler and Jackie Chapman received All-SPC honors. Chapman, who won rst in both shot put and discus, rewrote the St. John’s record book yet again.

Although they nished behind Episcopal, it was a monumental achievement.

“We were all really excited because we nally placed after so many years,” said Synnott, who broke the school record in the 1,600-meter race at the John Cooper Moonlight Mile.

The boys track team nished fourth at SPC.

Distance runners Jay Woodhouse, Jack Bowling, Samuel Caruso and Andrew Wasserman; high jumper Akash McCracken and hurdler Marshall Dunahoe received All-SPC honors.

Due to a con ict with the state lacrosse tournament, their SPC tournament took place April 11–12. The girls nished fourth while the boys defeated the Falcons 7-5 to take third place.

Girls golf placed third in SPC with freshman Kathy Yang and junior Kendace Lee taking All-SPC honors. The boys squad nished fourth with seniors Lawson Duncan and Aidan Xu being named All-SPC.

ALL PEAKES, NO VALLEYS

In fth grade, Avery Peakes was better than all the other girls in her recreational softball league, so she begrudgingly took her mother’s advice and played baseball.

“It was horrible because none of the other boys would talk to me,” she said. “They thought I had cooties.”

She quit after one season.

Fast forward seven years, Peakes has concluded her SJS athletic career as a two-time captain of both softball and basketball and as a varsity volleyball player since her sophomore year.

Peakes has played volleyball since third grade, softball since kindergarten and basketball for as long as she can remember.

Peakes was born into a family of athletes — her father Adam was a two-time Academic All-American basketball player at Rice University, where her oldest brother Jackson (‘21) just completed his redshirt junior season. Her mother Waverly and older brother Mercer (‘23) were multi-sport athletes in high school, and her younger brother Hudson (‘28) plays volleyball, basketball and lacrosse.

Peakes also plays for the Texas Riptide Softball Club. Last summer, she competed in eight out-of-town tournaments including in Kansas City, Denver and Huntington Beach, California. Twice a week in the fall, Peakes practiced volleyball for two hours, then drove out to Humble for club softball practice.

“That was the hardest part — managing my schoolwork with the long drives and practices,” she said.

Occasionally, Peakes skipped club softball practice for volleyball games. She considered dropping school volleyball before her junior year, but decided to stick with it.

“I feel like it would have almost been weird for me to have a season o because I’m so used to playing sports,” Peakes said.

On the Mavs softball team, Peakes hit cleanup and held down the hot corner at third base.

Softball head coach Isis Amao noticed Peakes’s natural athleticism and strong arm when Peakes was still in middle school. Amao asked her if she would consider learning how to play catcher. Although hesitant at rst, Peakes told Amao she would be willing to catch. Since then, Peakes has helped out behind the plate when needed but has mostly played on the left side of the in eld.

Amao says that while Peakes has been a “game changer in any sport she plays,” she has enjoyed watching Peakes develop into a captain who “leads by example.”

Before spring SPC, Amao created washer necklaces for each member of the team with a unique word to describe them. Peakes’s word

was “lead.”

“Whether it’s warmups or drills, she’s one of the rst to jump in line,” Amao said. “She takes the initiative to be at the front.”

Amao further describes the soft-spoken Peakes as one of the most mentally tough players she has coached. “She has such a stoic look, and you can’t tell if you frazzle her or not.”

Sophomore Gabby Sherill had played with Peakes for the past two years in both basketball and softball. They have developed a special bond hitting back-to-back in the lineup and playing on the same side of the in eld.

“Her winning attitude rubs o on me,”

Sherrill said.

Freshman Carly Burgoyne rst met Peakes at an athletic meet-and-greet for incoming high school students, but they did not get to know each other until basketball season. As one of the few freshmen on varsity, Burgoyne says that Peakes was always there to answer her questions, whether about basketball or general high school life.

In February, Burgoyne and freshman Ainsley Bass had an extra concert ticket to see Role Model, so they invited Peakes.

“She actually had a softball game that night, but she was like, ‘I’ll try my best to make it afterwards,’” Burgoyne said. “It ended up being an awesome bonding experience, especially outside of basketball and school-related things.”

Peakes, who will attend Rice University in the fall, was one of two female athletes to receive the newly renamed Stobie Whitmore Maverick Athletic Achievement Award, which honors three-sport varsity athletes. She nished her softball career with a .500 batting average, 159 hits and 14 home runs. On the basketball court, she grabbed over 1,000 rebounds.

“She puts so much work and heart into what she does,” Amao said. “And above all that, she doesn’t take her abilities for granted.”

A VERY GOOD SPORT

A two-time captain in both softball and basketball, Peakes has been a three-sport varsity athlete since her sophomore year.

Story by Yutia Li & Dalia Sandberg

Design by Ella Hughes

Photo by Georgia Pulliam

How the three-sport athlete “leads by example”

Photo courtesy of Avery Peakes

Documenting a ‘dynasty’: Boys golf generates hype with dynamic Instagram

Story by Wanya Zafar Design by Jennifer Lin

From hanging cinematic yers around campus to creating a 10-minute video for their Instagram page, the boys golf team has been busy entertaining their fans and followers.

Released last May, the video, “The Birth of a Dynasty,” featured interviews with head coach Jack Soliman and the varsity golfers and dramatic footage. In the mockumentary, Soliman compares the team’s skills to those of the 1990s Chicago Bulls.

The amped–up social media account (@sjsvarsitygolf) was launched by Jerry Zhang (‘24) in February 2022 to advertise upcoming tournaments and create inspiring visuals featuring catchphrases like “One team. One heartbeat. One goal.”

“I started it because we weren’t as good that year, and I thought it’d be motivating to make graphics pretending we were amazing,” Zhang said.

“They really partnered well to make their short documentary over last year’s season. They made all the hype videos before tournaments and posted our schedule,” Soliman said. “They’re creative and good at what they do.”

Some players concede that golf may lack interest from casual sports fans.

“We want to break the idea that golf is a boring sport to watch, so we purposely make everything overly dramatic,” senior Aidan Xu said.

Soliman recognizes that golf is not a ashy sport, so displaying some creativity is bene cial for the team. After coaching high school golf for 27 years, Soliman knows that a golf team needs to bond and stay focused.

“You can demand excellence and still have an opportunity for kids to have fun and take ownership of what they do,” Soliman said.

Once their Instagram page gained traction, many players felt the team was motivated to play even harder.

When you put people into graphics and videos, it makes them feel like what they’re doing is cool and worth trying hard for.

Over the next two years, the team worked to generate more content. For the 2023 season, they crafted meet-the-team posts, which featured solo photos of each player and their favorite professional golfer. After Zhang graduated last year, he handed the account o to current senior Grant Young. Soliman appreciates the dedication of the Instagram managers.

JERRY ZHANG

“When you put people into graphics and videos, it makes them feel like what they’re doing is cool and worth trying hard for,” Zhang said.

Each post and graphic was appreciated not only by the team but also by their thousands of followers according to junior Brandon Wu.

“That’s the great thing about the St. John’s community. We’re all here to support each other, and we managed to attract such a big following through our fans and community,” Wu said. “It’s really exciting to watch and be a part of.”

Senior

Story by William Burger

ISoliman appreciates it when his friends commend his team’s digital know-how, including James Lee, a former Mavs assistant coach who is now an assistant with the Rice Owls golf team. Last year, Lee told Soliman that Zhang and Young were “better at what they do than the people that run the Rice Golf social media.”

Both Soliman and his team appreciate how their social media presence has helped them grow closer.

“As a coach, it is about winning, but you also want to help develop a team chemistry,” Soliman said. “And though it started out kind of as a joke, we’ve become quite competitive.”

Additional reporting by William Liang

Assassin: The most dangerous game

n the last few weeks of school, chaos has emerged in the form of Senior Assassin, a high-stakes game in which friends are pitted against each other until a victor is crowned.

On April 1, pairs of seniors were assigned another pair of combatants to eliminate. To complete an “assassination,” someone must spray their target with a water gun — and record it for veri cation. Wearing goggles grants competitors immunity, and campus is a safe zone. Otherwise, almost anything goes.

For seniors, more is on the line than just bragging rights – there’s also a cash prize of $500. Grady McMillin learned the harsh realities of the competition while on a trip in New York.

I didn’t really expect to be so far away and still get out. I didn’t see it coming.

GRADY MCMILLIN

That weekend, a “purge” was announced. For 24 hours, goggles no longer o ered protection. Everyone was fair game.

McMillin was enjoying dinner with his family when senior Sarah Adams ran into the restaurant and shot him from behind.

“I didn’t really expect to be so far away and still get out. But it was a purge, so it was my fault,” McMillin said. “I didn’t see it coming.”

The elimination stories vary from hilarious to downright outrageous. Lexi Lang recounts her

best kill, when she and her partner Serina Yan tracked down their target, Harper Rhee, at her physical therapy appointment, which was on the 16th oor of a hospital in the medical center.

Although Senior Assassin makes for funny stories, they present a safety risk for participants — and their families.

On May 7, Arlington, Texas, teenager Isaac Leal was playing the game when he jumped on the back of a participant’s car. As the driver accelerated, they hit a bump. Leal fell o and hit his head. He remains in critical condition.

In February, a student in Nassau County, Florida, was shot in the arm by an o -duty police o cer who mistook his water gun for the real thing. Florida law enforcement urges students to refrain from playing the potentially deadly game.

Even on campus, some students have noticed the dangers of playing Senior Assassin.

The game encourages trespassing, which raises concerns, especially when students hide in people’s yards, garages and even cars.

“Last night we were at dinner, and someone decided to run in behind me from the door and shoot Lexi [Lang] with an automatic water gun,” senior Morgan Meneely said. “It sounded like a gun, and everyone just inched and got down on the table anyways. [Everyone in] the restaurant was really scared.”

Students sometimes shoot the wrong target.

“A guy in our grade tried to get his target by breaking into his garage, and he happened to accidentally shoot his target’s mother instead,” Meneely said.

Senior Caiman Moreno-Earle had concerns about the tactics of his partner, who would try to

get his opponents out at night.

“I was very concerned for his safety,” he said. Moreno-Earle, who bought an automatic water gun, always made sure to tell those around him before he would take out an opponent. Still, some students were opposed to the use of realisticlooking weapons.

“Don’t use water guns that look like guns,” Meneely cautioned.

Overall, it’s not a great idea, but we’re seniors, and at the end of the day we want to have fun.

CAIMAN MORENO-EARLE

As of May 12, there were only three of the initial 130 participants remaining. Organizers say that the game will continue until there is one team remaining.

Despite the safety risks, seniors consider the competition a way to take their minds o their impending graduation by creating lasting memories with their classmates.

“Overall, it’s not a great idea, but we’re seniors, and at the end of the day we want to have fun,” Moreno-Earle said. “It’s worth the risk, but if I was an adult, I would never let my kids play this game.”

Additional reporting by Preston Wu

THE DRIVE TO SUCCEED

The golf team uses bold flyers and social media posts to promote the team.

Photo courtesy of Brandon Wu

It could have been anyone

How

journalistic deprofessionalization poses a serious threat

Kinkaid School graduate Mary Kate Cornett was attending the University of Mississippi when she discovered that she had become a household name overnight – for all the wrong reasons.

After reading “categorically false and defamatory” rumors about an alleged a air with her boyfriend’s father, Cornett left Ole Miss to be at home with her family. It was a nightmare, and it was about to get much worse.

The source of the rumor was an edited screenshot of a Snapchat message. Soon, thousands of real and fake social media accounts circulated not only the screenshots but also doctored photographs and AI-generated videos. Cornett describes the phenomenon perfectly: “It is, quite frankly, inexcusable that such disturbing accusations went viral.”

Cornett’s name was a trending search on TikTok for weeks, and the situation was ampli ed by Barstool Sports and ESPN’s Pat McAfee. Because Cornett’s image and account were accessible through her tagged posts on Instagram, the owner of the Kinkaid class of 2024 Instagram changed the account to private. Cornett also temporarily changed the status of her social media accounts from public to private.

On Feb. 27, she posted a statement on Instagram denying the rumors and denouncing the rapid

spread of the damaging accusations. She mentioned how deeply the rumors had a ected her and her family and noted the dangers of cyberattacks and the spread of misinformation.

“This experience has awakened me to the dangers of how we all can be manipulated to believe things we read on social media that are not true,” Cornett said. “My hope is that I am able to use the heartbreak and pain I have felt to help others that go through things like this in the future.”

In two months, Cornett and her father have raised over $11,000 to aid victims of cyberattacks.

The problem with McAfee, an NFL punterturned-television host, and other reporters with no formal training is that they promote irresponsible journalistic practices. Because they have a large social media presence, people look to them as reliable sources of information.

The issue with lowered journalistic standards is the power they wield. The more intriguing the stories, whether factual or false, the faster it spreads. By the time the truth is revealed, the person’s reputation is already tainted.

Cornett is one of us. She had over a hundred mutual friends at St. John’s. It could have been anyone we know.

When reading or hearing about a story online, especially defamatory ones, make sure you do more than research. Check the accuracy of the narrative before spreading it, and be aware of the threat that non-journalists pose.

Cornett will not be the last person targeted by cyberattacks if people don’t start checking their sources.

How voluntourism distorts compassion

Last July, I opened Instagram to see posts from former classmates – not in the tropical beaches that often consume my summer feed, but in Tanzania with local children. While these posts appear innocuous, they do not capture the dangers of voluntourism.

videos, and some of our geographical awareness is embarrassing (by the way, Africa is a continent, not a country). How can students ethically serve abroad when they homogenize the diversity of the places they claim to help?

good to just throw money at a problem, but sometimes that is the best solution. If you are truly passionate about an international issue, consider donating to local grassroots organizations and non-governmental organizations. You can see where funds are allocated by using sites like Charity Navigator or the IRS.

“Voluntourism” describes the concept of travelers, typically wealthy Westerners, paying agencies to participate in short-term projects, often in less-developed countries. Some projects include serving at orphanages, constructing homes and libraries and teaching English in impoverished areas across Asia, Africa and Latin America.

According to The Guardian, voluntourism is a billion-dollar industry with over 10 million annual travelers, primarily North Americans and Europeans.

and

It is imperative to immerse yourself in new cultures, lifestyles and languages. But engaging with others through a lens of saviorism can distort the experience: it overshadows the many nuances, undermines genuine connection and turns cultural understanding into an afterthought. One of the tenets of community service is learning mutual respect. It should be symbiotic, not transactional.

Most importantly, look into local e orts in order to spend your money, time and energy more e ectively. It is necessary to recognize community needs before volunteering and starting new projects – not the other way around.

Poverty is not a tourist attraction. Altruism is

There is already inequity within our community, so why turn volunteering into a vacation when those resources can be used locally?

When community service becomes Instagrammable virtue signaling, or when the funds are spent on leisure activities instead of work, then the project is no longer about helping others. Entering unfamiliar spaces with a mindset of saving less fortunate people inherently diminishes the dignity of these communities and ignores the inequities that exist closer to home.

Living in the St. John’s bubble can fool students into thinking that a uence is commonplace. American exceptionalism fuels this ignorance – a superiority complex ingrained into our country’s history.

We have all watched the a nity group assembly

According to the International Journal of Health you

not a social media post. Be more cognizant of how and why you choose to serve.

service trip, ask the agen-

According to the International Journal of Health and Economic Development, only a fraction of the funds are allocated to the recipient community. More than 80 percent goes toward travel expenses. If you are thinking about going on an international service trip, ask the agency how much is distributed to the community, and how much goes towards recreational activities like ziplining and horseback riding.

how much goes towards ziplining and horseback

There are people without homes within a vemile radius of campus. There are underfunded schools in HISD. Why turn volunteering into a vacation when those resources can be used locally?

mile radius of campus. There are underfunded cation when those resources can be used locally?

The main issue boils down to the lack of sustainability in these projects. We are not professional construction workers, and two weeks of training does not make us licensed social workers.

construction workers, and two weeks of training workers.

Building a well or library without ensuring its goal.

Building a well or library without ensuring its longevity falls short of achieving the original goal. Also, brief visits to orphanages may create separation anxiety and harm the emotional well-being of children in the long run.

Here is the unpleasant truth: it does not feel

Here is the unpleasant truth: it does not feel

Opinion by Lee Monistere

Illustration by Emily Yen

Opinion by Aila Jiang Illustration by Emily Yen

to a

Lee Monistere

Aila Jiang

OPINIONS

Senior spring has a way of casting a rosy haze over four years in the Storied Cloisters. The harsh edges of the late nights spent studying and stressing about cotillion groups/dates/afterparties are airbrushed into nostalgia by the sunny afternoons playing frisbee on the Quad and the knowledge that upcoming tests won’t a ect your college applications.

It’s utterly wonderful, until the end of April, when the reality of your impending departure hits you like a freight train.

When the senior editors walked into Q201 for our nal Review carrier, we looked at each other with a sense of disbelief. The publications room is, in a way, our home. If you go by the sheer number of hours we have spent there, it certainly rivals the amount of time we have spent anywhere else — including our houses. But more importantly, it is where we’ve felt the deepest connections to our work and to each other.

We live in a world where numbness is just a click away. Whether your preferred poison is Instagram Reels or BlockBlast, there are so many ways to stop thinking and stop feeling.

Senior spring, while certainly blissful, also brings a sense of being unmoored. Everything we take for granted is about to change.

Embrace the sadness. Embrace the fear of the unknown. It means you cared about the work you did. It means you cared about the people you’ll be leaving behind. It means you lived life at St. John’s to the fullest.

When it’s your turn to receive your diploma, it’s okay to mourn the end of this stage of your life (even if you don’t admit it to anyone else). Don’t turn to numbness or apathy. Instead, feel your feelings and cry your tears.

We leave The Review and St. John’s with an acute sense of

what we’ll never get back. But because we cared so deeply about what we did here, we also leave with the courage to dive head rst into our next adventure, even knowing we’ll have to say goodbye again.

For now, we will cry and hug and maybe panic a little as our known worlds tilt out from under us. But then we will pick ourselves up, more ready to take on the next four years because we aren’t scared of sadness.

So long, St. John’s, and thanks for all the sh.

FREEDA OF THE PRESS

By Emily Yen

Shetty

Business/Production Manager Lex Langlais

Sta Isabella Adachi, Ainsley Bass, William Burger, Colin Caughran, Kenzie Chu, Khoi Chu, Rebekah Costa, Juliet Dow, Viv Fox, Sophia Giron, Melody Han, Maggie Hester, Angel Huang, Zain Imam, Drew Kalapatapu, Mikail Khan, Brian Kim, Sophia Kim, Nicholas Laskaris, William Liang, Emily Matthews-Ederington, Katelyn McCollum, Sarah Nguyen, Georgia Pulliam, Noa Shaw, Mabrey Stokes, Caroline Thompson, Horatio Wilcox, Evan Williams, Preston Wu, Wanya Zafar, Brayden Zhao

Advisers

David Nathan, Shelley Stein (‘88), Sam Abramson

Mission Statement

The Review strives to report on issues with integrity, recognize the assiduous e orts of all and serve as an engine of discourse within the St. John’s community.

Publication Info

We mail each issue of The Review, free of charge, to every Upper School household, with an additional 1,000 copies distributed on campus to our 709 students and 98 faculty.

Policies

The Review provides a forum for student writing and opinion. The opinions and sta editorials contained herein do not necessarily re ect the opinions of the Head of School of the Board of Trustees of St. John’s School. Sta editorials represent the opinion of the entire Editorial Board unless otherwise noted. Writers and photographers are credited with a byline. Corrections, when necessary, can be found on the editorial pages. Running an advertisement does not imply endorsment by the school.

Submission Guidlines

Letters to the editor and guest columns are encouraged but are subject to editing for clarity, space, accuracy and taste. On occasion, we publish letters anonymously. We reserve the right not to print letters. Letters and guest columns can be emailed to sjsreviewonline@gmail.com.

Amanda Brantley

Lucy Walker

Lily Feather

Aleena Gilani

Serina Yan

Elizabeth Hu

THE BRUNCHES ARE COMING

The editors took this photo at Amanda’s graduation brunch at her grandmother’s house. Lucy was not in attendance due to the flu.

Photo by Katie Czelusta

1

THE POWER RANKING: TWINS

Fred and George

The Weasley twins made the power rankings two issues in a row . They are funny, fiery and fantastic wizards. We solemnly swear that they are the best.

2

3 4 5 11 12 13 14 15

Liv and Maddie

Dove Cameron’s alter-egos are better in stereo. Anyone can play someone with a dual life, but not everyone can play two people at once.

Mary-Kate and Ashley Olsen

Who knew during the heyday of Full House that neither of them would be the most famous Olsen sister. That honor goes to Scarlet Witch herself, Elizabeth Olsen.

Luke and Leia

The ultimate siblings-or-dating challenge – May the fourth spot be with you.

Artemis and Apollo

What’s better than a mythological brother and sister who disapprove of each other’s life choices?

Chip and Dale

Our deputy editor Lee Monistere’s favorite Disney characters (and twins).

6

The Shining Twins

Come and play with us... Come and play with us... forever... and ever... and ever...

Laufey and Junia

One got famous for singing “From the Start.” The other got famous for being her twin.

Hallie and Annie

Lindsay Lohan plays long-lost tweenage twins who conspire to reunite their parents. They’re not sisters, they’re twins !

Patty & Selma / Terri & Sherri

Marge Simpson’s sisters terrorize Homer while the always purple-clad Terri and Sherri constantly tease Bart.

8 20

Dylan and Cole Sprouse

They’re living the Suite Life (on deck). Cole became more famous as Jughead on Riverdale while Dylan is still Cole’s twin.

Gemini Twins

Living in the stars, these zodiac twins, Castor and Pollux, are inseperable.

These twins from Shakespeare’s Twelfth Night (and the 2006 adaptation, She’s the Man ) have mastered the switcheroo and are every English teacher’s go-to.

Amen, who plays for the Houston Rockets, is one minute older than Ausar, who was drafted one spot after his twin by the Detroit Pistons in the 2023 NBA Draft.

Our reasoning: Contrawise, if it was so, it might be; and if it were so, it would be; but as it isn’t, it ain’t.

The Twin Cities 7 9 10 16 17 18 19

The Duffer Brothers

We’ve waited three years for the Duffers to give us the final season of their magnum opus Stranger Things. Our world will be turned Upside Down when it comes out.

Missy and Sheldon Cooper Viola and

One’s smart; one’s funny. Together, they’re a whole personality.

Romulus and Remus

They founded Rome, showing twin domination since the B.C. era. That is, until Romulus ended Remus.

Lola and Lana

You’re not seeing double – you’re seeing trouble – and in the Loud House, they wouldn’t trade it for the world.

While not technically twins, St. Paul and Minneapolis dominate Minnesota, so they make the list.

Honorable Mentions: Thing 1 and Thing 2 (The Cat in the Hat), Dipper and Mabel (Gravity Falls), Barbara and Jenna Bush, and Cersei and Jamie Lannister (Game of Thrones)

CLASS OF 2025 EDITION